1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sea walls protecting dry land structures from damage from bodies of water. In particular, the invention improves effectiveness of a sea wall by harnessing wind blowing water towards the dry land to diffuse effect of wind blown water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Natural bodies of water such as the ocean, seas, lakes, and the like occasionally cause damage to normally dry ground during storms. Sea walls have been provided to mitigate or prevent such damage, but have not always proved fully effective. One type of damage which may occur results from water lifted from the natural body of water and propelled over the sea wall by strong winds. Damage may result not only from mass of water, as might arise from crashing waves and rising water levels, but also from velocity of driven water. Wind speeds increase towards the water surface, and are capable of lifting water in sheets from the natural body of water. These sheets of water are greatly accelerated and propelled towards the shore, and may impinge on the susceptible ground structure with great force, thereby causing damage by erosion.
When this water strikes ground surfaces, significant erosion may ensue. Examples of ground surfaces and structures which are susceptible to such attack include natural formations such as bluffs and dunes, but also artificial structures such as shoulders of roads, berms, drainage ditches, and the like. Such structures are typically formed from loose fill dirt, sand, light gravel, and other materials lacking resistance to erosion present in materials such as concrete, asphalt, and others.
Sea walls may be designed to redirect the force of moving water. Examples are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,239, issued to Georges Vincent on Jan. 20, 1970, U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,334, issued to Edward Karaus on May 19, 1987, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,521, issued to David T. Martin et al. on Nov. 15, 1988. Vincent and Martin et al. have openings for admitting some of the flow of impinging water to pass while the remainder is redirected. This feature has the effect of diffusing force of the water. Karaus merely provides inclined reflective surfaces. These inventions also display conduits internal to the respective sea wall, for draining water or for directing water to storage as ballast. None of these inventions exploit the very wind exacerbating the problem, as does the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,442, issued to Hubert E. Caulfield on Jun. 27, 1989, suggests extending a sea wall upwardly. Caulfield does not attempt to exploit natural forces, as is accomplished by the present invention. His invention merely cooperates with conventional caps of sea walls to render the barrier higher.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.